Water divider



April 18, 1939. F, M: HEATH 2,154,982

WATER DTVIDER Filed July 26, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

April 18, 1939. F M HEA'TH 2,154,982

WATER DIVIDER Filed July 26, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w 6: 7r

.Ewzk Mfie'wik IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

April 18, 1939. M, HEATH 2,154,982

WATER DIVIDER FiledJuly 26, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .2 27, 9,

INVENTOR.

A TTORN E YS.

Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to an attachment designed for use with flush tanks and the ball valves thereof, the primary object of the invention being to provide means for dividing and directing the 5 water entering the tanks, against the ball valve at opposite sides of the ball valve and at a predetermined period during the seating of the ball valve, to cause the ball valve to rotate insuring the true seating of the valve to eliminate any possibility of the valve leaking, due to an improper Seating of the valve.

An important object of the invention is to pro vide an attachment of this character which may be readily and easily mounted on the usual inlet pipe of a flush tank, eliminating the necessity of making alterations in the usual tank construction, to mount the attachment.

Another important object of the invention. is to provide a ball valve having vertical grooves or recesses formed in the periphery thereof, providing blades against which the infiowing water impinges, the blades being so located that when the valve has seated, the inflowing water will strike the ball valve above the blades, insuring 25 against the force of the incoming water moving the valve on its seat.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred form of the invention in elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating the connection between the attachment and feed pipe of the tank.

Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken at right angles to Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the supporting block used in supporting the attachment.

Figure 6 is a plan View of a modified form of the invention.

Figure '7 is an elevational view of a further modified form of the invention.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the structure shown by Figure '7.

Figure 9 is an elevational view illustrating another modified form of the invention.

Figure 10 is a. plan view of a still further modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5 designate a flush tank box, which is supplied with an inlet pipe 6 of the usual and well known construction, and to which the attachment, forming the essence of this invention, is connected.

The outlet pipe not shown, is connected with the pipe 1 that extends through the bottom of the tank, the upper portion of the pipe or fitting I, constituting the seat for the ball valve 8.

The ball valve is formed with notches disposed in the periphery thereof defining blades 9 extending around the ball valve at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof. These blades 9 are arranged in such a way that water entering the tank, will be directed thereagainst, to rotate the ball valve, when the ball valve reaches a predetermined position during the movement of the ball valve to its seat.

The attachment includes the pipe l0 which has an upwardly extended end portion I l which is slightly flared, so that it will readily fit over the discharge end of the pipe 6, there being provided a substantially wedge-shaped gasket l2 forced between the discharge end of the pipe 6 and upwardly extended end ll of the pipe I0. An adjustable collar l 3 engages the gasket l 2 to force the gasket to its proper position. A winged bolt I4 passes through a threaded opening in the collar I3 and engages the pipe 6, seeming the collar in its adjusted positions.

An opening indicated at I5 is formed in the upwardly extended portion I I of the pipe Hi, the opening being of a diameter in proportion to the diameter of the outlet end of the pipe I0, so that the water entering the pipe and passing from the pipe, will be divided into equal parts to impinge against the blades 9, with equal force to insure the true seating of the ball valve and prevent wobbling or movement of the ball valve laterally, during the seating of. the ball valve.

As clearly shown by the drawings, the pipe I0 is curved around the valve seat, and is then again curved at IS, the discharge end 1-1 of the pipe being disposed in close proximity to the blades 9 of the ball valve, so that the blades will receive the full force of the water passing from the discharge end of the pipe.

As shown, the discharge end I! of the pipe I0 is slightly flattened vertically, to confine the flow of water from the pipe to a particular location when striking the ball valve.

In order that the pipe II) will be relieved of the weight and pressure of the attachment, a supporting block indicated at [8 is provided, the supporting block being formedwith an upper-stepped surface, with the result that when the block I8 is positioned under the pipe II], the pipe will rest on a fiat surface of the block and will be being curved as at 2| and the discharge end 22' thereof being inclined upwardly to direct the flow of water against the blades of the ball valve at a predetermined period during the downward movement of the ball valve to its seat.

In the form of the invention as illustrated by Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, the discharge end of the pipe is provided with vertical flattened portions to direct the water against the blades of the ball valve, the flattened portions being indicated at 23. In this form of the invention, instead of the water passing directly into the tank from an opening in the connection between the discharge pipe and the water inlet pipe of the system, a curved pipe indicated at 24 is used, which curved pipe has an upwardly extended end portion 25, the discharge end of the pipe being flattened as at 26 providing a nozzle to direct the water against the ball valve. 7

Due to this construction, it will be seen that the water is directed against the blades of the ball valve only at a predetermined point during the downward movement of the ball valve, and that when the ball valve has been seated, the discharge of water from the pipes will be at a point directly above the central peripheral line of the ball valve, with the result that the water will assist the ball valve in its downward movement to its seat.

As shown by Figure 9, the pipe 21 through which the water enters the tank, has connection with the water inlet pipe 28, near the upper end thereof, the pipe 21 extending downwardly, where it is supported on the hanger 28' secured within the tank, the end of the pipe being slightly flattened as at 29 providing a nozzle to direct the water as previously described, against the blades of the ball valve, which in the present showing is indicated by the reference character 30. In this form of the invention water also enters the tank through the pipe 28 which has its discharge end arranged in spaced relation with the bottom of the tank, with the result that as the water enters the tank, it will be directed laterally against one side of the ball valve.

The pipe 3|, which is connected with the inlet pipe 32 in the same manner as shown by Figure 9, has its discharge end cut vertically, and arranged a little farther from the ball valve than in the previously described forms of the invention.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided an attachment which may be readily and easily positioned on the inlet pipe of a flush tank, the attachment acting to direct the incoming water against the blades of the usual ball valve in such a way that as the ball valve descends towards its seat, the ball valve will be rotated just prior to its seating, and after the ball valve has moved to its seat, the flow of water will be past the center of the ball valve and directed against the upwardly inclined upper portion of the ball valve, further directing the ball valve to its seat.

I claim:

1. The combination with the water inlet pipe and the ball valve of a flush tank, of a water dividing attachment comprising means for directing water against the ball valve at opposite sides thereof when the ball valve reaches a predetermined position during the downward movement of the valve to its seat, rotating the valve as the ball valve moves to engage its seat.

2. The combination with the water inlet pipe and ball valve of a flush tank, of a water dividing attachment comprising a pipe connected with the water inlet pipe, the discharge end of the pipe being extended upwardly and adapted to direct water to one side of the ball valve, said pipe having an inlet opening through which water passes into the tank and engages the valve at the opposite sides thereof rotating the valve at a point just prior to the seating of the valve, thereby equalizing the water pressure at opposite sides of the valve.

3. The combination with a flush tank water inlet pipe and ball valve thereof having blades, of an inlet water dividing attachment, comprising a pipe connected with the water inlet pipe, said pipe having a curved discharge end adapted to direct water to the blades of the ball valve at one side of the ball valve, and said pipe having an outlet opening arranged to direct water to the opposite side of the ball valve equalizing the water pressure on the ball valve preventing Wobbling of the ball valve as it moves to its seat.

4. The combination with the water inlet pipe and ball valve of a flush tank, of an inlet water dividing device comprising a pipe connected with the water inlet pipe, the discharge end of the pipe being directed towards the ball valve at one side thereof, and a pipe for directing infiowing water against the opposite side of the ball valve rotating the ball valve and equalizing the pressure against the valve maintaining the valve against wobbling during the seating of the Valve.

5. The combination with the water inlet pipe and ball valve of a iiush tank, the 'ball valve having blades formed on the periphery thereof, of an inlet water dividing device comprising a pipe connected with the water inlet pipe of the flush tank and adapted to direct a stream of water against the blades at one side of the valve, and a pipe connected with the inlet pipe and adapted to direct a stream against the blades at the opposite sides of the valve rotating the valve as the valve seats.

FRANK M. HEATH. 

